Italics - thoughts
Bold first sentence - Each chapter of this story will begin with a randomly chosen 1st sentence from a book in my bookcase.
Chapter 1: First sentence is from: Paul Auster - City of Glass
Disclaimer: I do not own or have rights to any book quote used or MGLN.
Rated T
A/N: This story is an exercise because I do not write stories - but as I have enjoyed reading some great fanfic at this site, I thought I should step up to the plate so to speak. To help me since I had absolutely no idea what to write - and still do not - I decided to set up a structure. 10 chapters. !000 words each. I will start each chapter with a random first sentence from a book a friend selects from my bookcase. Before a new random sentence is selected, I will complete the current chapter. Each newly selected 1st sentence will guide what will happen in that chapter. My job will be to weave together this mosaic as I go along. Lets find out together what kind of story this will be. Hopefully I won't fall flat on my face!
As it is my first I will gladly look forward to constructive criticism, and story development ideas in your reviews.
Thank you!...
Chapter 1: The Phone Call
3:36 a.m.
It was a wrong number that started it, the telephone ringing three times in the dead of night, stirring her groggily from her sleep, she fumbled, dropped the phone, then finally picking it up, placing it to her ear, and the voice on the other end asking for someone she was not.
" ... " the voice on the phone murmured. She almost didn't hear it. She certainly didn't catch the name that had been urgently whispered through the phone and into her ear.
"Who...? Wha...? Um... no, sorry, you have the wrong number" she replied, her voice still sleep filled, her mind not fully clear yet. Only the dim lights of the city seeping though the cracks around her window shades illuminated the room she had just been asleep in. She reached and pushed her long blonde hair back from her face.
" It doesn't matter, there is no more time. It'll have to be you." The voice whispered, the tone harsher and more rushed. " The event will happen in three days. There will be only one warning, a sign that all is not as it seems will reveal itself to you by sunrise today. You must..."
"What?" She interrupted the voice. More awake now, she felt annoyed that the person on the other end of the phone did not understand that they had dialed the wrong number. "I said you have the wrong number, and it's the middle of the night!"
"I heard you", the voice on the other end of the phone became more insistent raising slightly in volume, "but there is no helping it as I am out of time, and out of options, so I am giving the message to you. This is life or death, you, me, everyone." There was a brief pause, then a morose chuckle could be heard before the voice in a softer, shaken tone went on. "W - well, for me... I am already dead, or soon will be as they know who I am and are coming for me. I am sorry but they now have your number and so they will be coming soon for you too. You must heed what I say. Do not tell anyone what I am telling you, for they are among us and you cannot know who to trust. Go to the station, find locker N6203. In there you will find what you need to stop what is about to happen."
"What are you talking about? What's going to happen?"
"In a way, the end of the world. At least the end of the world as you now know it. You will understand when you encounter the warning sign, then you will know that the world you just woke up in is not the same one as you fell asleep in the night before. I am sorry, you were someone just having a normal life, unaware that something truly evil had arrived in this city until you answered the phone. But you did answer, and now it is all up to you."
"Hell, this is crazy. I am going to hang up, and if you call again I will call the police." Just as she was about to slam the phone down, she thought she heard a loud banging noise coming from the other end of the call, maybe a grunt, then the line disconnected. For a moment she sat frozen in her bed as she stared at the phone still in her hand. A puzzled look came into her burgundy eyes and she started to feel a bit anxious what with how spooky the caller had been. "Ah, damn it" she shouted irritatedly and with that she slammed the phone down, rolled back over in bed and threw her pillow over her head.
Like any other city, Uminari began to wake up long before the sun rose above it's buildings' skyline. All over there were the stirrings of the early morning workers - those that put the morning newspaper together, cooks in diners preparing for the breakfast rush. There were even those who were finding the end of their day at this quiet hour, the late night revelers, and those who worked in the bars and joints throughout the city. The early morning workers, and late night carousers passing by on the street in the earliest, or latest hour of their day - simultaneously.
There is a certain sound associated with this time, the rumble of a passing truck, a low yet constant hum of electricity from the street lights, the angry hiss of alley cats. Each sound quiet in its manifest, yet each so distinct, something the daylight bleaches out. And as she struggled to find sleep again, head beneath her pillow, she was acutely aware of this slow, soft awakening that was going on just outside her bedroom window. Feathers and cotton were no match to block out the funny feelings growing in her abdomen. That call had given her the jitters there was no doubt. With a huff she flung her pillow across the room and tossed the comforter off her body. Sitting up she looked with disgust at the clock on her bedside table, 4:19 a.m.. There would be no going back to sleep now.
Dressed in black running pants and tank top with a yellow windbreaker zippered all the way up, she had run for the past half hour and had reached the park near the waterfront. As she raced along the main path by the water's edge, her breathing ragged, she suddenly veered left and approached a section of the park that was often overlooked by most of the people who walked through it. It was an older part, somewhat hidden by the overgrowth of shrubs and bushes along the cracked path. She slowed down to a jog and continued along until she came to where a little rusted footbridge arched across a small inlet, on the other side were some picnic tables and benches that circled around a fountain that had long stopped functioning. There were a few vending machines to buy something to eat or drink, and a small clock tower could be seen beyond a weather beaten hedge that circled and kept the picnic area hidden. She had always liked this place, felt drawn to it, found comfort here whenever she was lonely or sad.
But this time she found no comfort. That nervous feeling from the phone call had refused to let her go and she had hoped when she decided to go for a jog in the coolness of the early spring morning air that it might settle her nerves down and bring back a sense of normality, as running usually did for her. Instead she had become more frantic and her jog soon turned into an all out sprint, running as fast and as far as she could to get away from the voice still whispering in her mind. She bent over, resting her hands on her knees trying to catch her ragged breath, strands of blond hair stuck to her damp brow having come loose from her long pony tail tied back with a single black ribbon. Why was this bothering her so much she wondered. The sweat on her body was starting to chill her and so finally she stood up straight, brushed back behind her ears the stray long and damp hairs then walked over to a vending machine buying a cup of coffee, grateful for the warmth it brought to her hands and the heat of the bitter, back liquid as it slid down her throat.
"Ah, I wouldn't mind the sip of a warm drink." spoke a gruff female voice from behind her. The blonde woman turned to find a rather large reddish dog with a jewel in its forehead sitting before her, tail wagging.
" I'm Arf. Don't be afraid. I was sent to protect you. They are coming and you don't have long." Said the dog.
"A d-dog just spoke t-to me." the woman stuttered in shock.
She turned her eyes away from the dog (or should she say wolf?) and looked at the clock tower. Her eyes widened. Behind the clock the first rays of light could be seen from the rising sun. She hit the ground before the coffee cup.
5:38 a.m